Sonoma Food Project is a FISH (Friends in Sonoma Helping) partner supporting their mission to meet the basic human needs of the Sonoma Valley community. Our bi-monthly food donations go to the Food Room’s monthly homebound seniors delivery service and the call-in grocery pickup program, which primarily serves families.
Our Story
Founded in 2018 by resident Laura Curran after attending an Ashland/Medford Food Project event. Awed by the impact of neighbor helping neighbor, one green bag at a time, she wanted the same for her beloved community. The first pickups came from recruited friends and neighbors. Today, “Food Angels”- a moniker given to us by a FISH Food Room Manager – from every corner of the valley participate.
Our Impact
Food is dignity. Something you don’t think about until you find yourself needing support, for whatever reason. Sonoma Valley is a giving community, with multiple annual food drives to assist FISH. The Sonoma Food Project is a layer to those efforts in two ways.
Consistency and variety. Shopping off the Food Room Manager’s wish list, each donated item has a place in their programs. And Food Angels provide variety. Cereal, for example. Redwood Empire, the primary procurement source for the Food Room, offers two cereal varieties in generic packaging. Food Angels bring all kinds of cereal, pulled from the shelves of a grocery store. Looking in your pantry and seeing something everyone else shops for brings comfort.
Expiration dates. Food drives often bring in a generous bounty, but every item must be checked before it can be placed on the shelves. Because Food Angels shop right before each pickup, donations can move quickly from the green bag to the shelf, saving valuable time for an all-volunteer organization like FISH.
Most Needed Items
Healthy cereal (non-family size), peanut butter, and canned meats. There is an occasional request for an item that Redwood Empire usually provides, but temporarily can’t. Past examples have included canned fruit and mac and cheese.
Become a Food Angel
Pickups are 6 times per year on the 2nd Saturday of even months (February, April, June, August, October, December). The week before, Angels receive a wish list email for their shopping mission. Pick up Saturday, place your generosity-filled green bag (provided) outside your door by 9 am. A volunteer picks up and replaces the full bag with an empty for the next pickup.
Can’t participate in a pickup – no problem! Life happens. Just respond to the wish list email if you need to miss that pickup. Quantity of items in the green bag doesn’t matter. One item or ten, Food Angels, together, make an impact and a difference.
Learn more about FISH at https://fishsonoma.org/
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